Experience the Warmth of Penghu on a Bike Text & Photos: Editorial Dept

Cycling in Taiwan

152 BMU 2010 Autumn www.biketaiwan.com Jibei Islet

Penghu is one of Taiwan's well-known offshore vacation islands. Some people say that Penghu Baisha Island Whale Cave Cross-Sea Penghu Aquarium Bridge Tongliang 203 has two suns: one is in the sky, and the other is in Great Banyan Jhongtun Island 203 Penghu Bay the water. Although the climate in Penghu is often Jhongtun Windmill Xiyu Township very hot, it is actually a very fun place. It is a fine Erkan Traditional Dakouye Stone Pillars Residence 203 area for cycling, strolling and window-shopping, Magong City 202 202 Magong Airport Guoye Magong Sunrise aquatic sports, and sightseeing, and there are, Port 204 Xiyu Eastern Xiyu Western 205 Lintou Park Fort 204 historic sites, bars and fine food, In particular, Fort Aimen Beach Fongui Hole 201 the colorful fireworks festival attracts countless 201 Tungpan Islet Shili Beach Shanshui Beach tourists to Penghu every year. Hujing Islet

Wangan Island

Twin Heart Stone Weir enghu has a relaxing, exotic South Seas at- Qimei Islet Little Taiwan mosphere, and it’s a fun place for a vacation. P Nioumuping Seven Beauty Tomb Penghu also possesses unique natural and ecologi- Nanhugang Port cal features, including distinctive basalt formations, Waiting-Husband Reef and it is a major birding destination. The extensive coastline is lined with flower-spangled meadows, and and Xiyu islands are connected by bridges, and are there are many fun water sports in the summertime. mutually accessible on a bicycle. A ferry connects With more than 700 years of history, Penghu offers these three main islands with Wangan and Qimei, traditional architecture, quaint old lanes, time-worn which also have good cycling opportunities. temples, and old military installations. The Penghu archipelago is mostly flat, and Ma- gong, Xiyu, and Baisha, in particular, have many gentle roads. Although Wangan and Qimei are a bit hillier, the uphill stretches are generally either short or long and gentle, and are not a big challenge for multi-speed bikes. There are three main possibilities for cycling ex- cursions on Penghu: The first is to ride through urban Magong, visit some historic sites, and enjoy the local dining. The second is to ride along County Road 203 in the direction of Baisha and Xiyu islands, and enjoy

▲The Penghu County Government is strongly promoting bicycle tourism. the spectacular scenery on each island; a one-way trip County Chief Wang Chien-fa (second from left in the front row) led this from Magong to Xiyu is approximately 35 km. The excursion along the Guanyin Pavilion bike path. third possibility is to take the ferry to Wangan and Qimei islands, and savor the tranquility and unique Relaxed cycling on offshore islands sights on these islets. The entire Penghu archipelago consists of 90 One of the common features of offshore islands islands, the largest of which is the main island of Ma- is a lack of cars, which makes cycling on Penghu gong. The next largest islands, in order of size, are very relaxing. And since there are hardly any motor Xiyu, Baisha, Wangan, and Qimei. Magong, Baisha, vehicles at all on Wangan and Qimei, all the roads on

www.biketaiwan.com 2010 Autumn BMU 153 Cycling in Taiwan

other necessary supplies. Penghu attracts many travelers, and vacation- ers are most numerous in July and August. Because it’s hard to reserve tickets and lodging during those months, and because of the blazing summer heat, it is not recommended that visitors go cycling on Penghu during the summer. In winter, the powerful northeast wind blows constantly, and few tourists visit the islands at this time. It is therefore suggested that travelers interested in cycling on Penghu visit from March to June or from September to November.

Magong City ▲The distinctively designed PH-Sea Shopping Mall sells any kind of Penghu specialty product and food that you might want. Most hotels and other business establishments on Penghu are located in urban Magong, which is also these small islands are like bike paths. Visitors should where most travelers can be found. While there are remember that although there are many commercial many local sites in and around Magong, but they are establishments in Magong City, and food, drink, and dispersed over a large area, and is not convenient to supplies are easy to find in the city, more distant vil- walk to some places. Since the city has very little traf- lages and other offshore islands are relatively isolated, fic, riding a bike is one of the best ways to get around so travelers should bring enough drinking water and and see the city.

154 BMU 2010 Autumn www.biketaiwan.com Cycling in Taiwan

▲Located within the Guanyin Pavilion, the Siying Rainbow Bridge is a wonderful place for viewing the sunset, and the fireworks festival is held here.

you take the bike path, the first thing you see will be the Siying Rainbow Bridge. From the bridge, you will often see people swimming and playing in the water, ▲Tianhou Temple, which has been listed as a Grade 1 historic site, is the oldest which may make you want to get off your bike and get Matsu temple in the Taiwan area. into the water yourself. Within Guanyin Pavilion, the bike path passes a scenic windmill and a wading foun- The many historic sites in the urban area include tain. This is also a good spot from which to see the Tianhou Temple, the Shuncheng Gate, Shigong Tem- sunset over Xiyu, which is another of Penghu’s tradi- ple, Wanjun Well, Zhongyang Street, Siyan Well, and tional Eight Sights. This area usually teems with visi- the Penghu Reclamation Hall. There is also the old tors at sundown for this reason. The Guanyin Pavilion military dependents’ village “Duxing Tenth Village,” bike path is flat, safe, and has pleasing scenery. which is a reminder of the time when Penghu was Magong-Baisha-Xiyu considered a front-line battlefield. If you like window- shopping, many stores along Chungcheng Road and in Cyclists who don’t mind riding a bit farther can the uniquely-designed PH-Sea Shopping Mall sell arts leave Magong and follow County Road 203 north to and crafts products, local aragonite stone, and special- Baisha Island. This route will take you past the wind ty products. Magong remains a lively place at night, farm at Zhongtun, the Penghu Aquarium on Baisha, and you can enjoy the cool Penghu evening walking and the ancient banyan tree at Tongliang, where you along the wharves or having some refreshment at a lo- can stop for a cactus ice. You can then continue across cal pub. the Trans-Oceanic Bridge to Xiyu, where you can tour a traditional village at Erkan and view the columnar The Guanyin Pavilion Bike Path basalt formation at Daguoye. If you want to push Magong has its own bike path, which starts at yourself even farther, you can continue to the end of the Guanyin Pavilion and follows the shoreline around County Road 203 near the Xiyu Fort. It is approxi- the Guanyin Pavilion Waterside Recreation Area. If mately 35 km from Magong to the Xiyu Fort; since

www.biketaiwan.com 2010 Autumn BMU 155 Cycling in Taiwan

this is only a moderate distance, and the hills are all gentle, most experienced cyclists should not find this trip very difficult. However, since the weather can be scorching hot in Penghu, remember to bring plenty of water, and avoid riding right around midday in order to prevent heatstroke.

Qimei The name Qimei is full of romantic and epic connotations for most people from Taiwan. Since ▲According to legend, a pregnant woman longing for her fisherman husband to return from the sea was magically transformed into Looking for Her Husband Qimei Island is not very big, a slow bike ride is an ex- Rock, in which form she will wait for centuries more. cellent way to appreciate the scenery. If you start from the docks at Nanhu Harbor, a complete trip around the island was renamed Qimei—“Seven Beauties”—to island covering all the major scenic spots is roughly commemorate these legendary martyrs. The next site 25 km. Compared with the main island of Magong, also relates the tale of an ill-fated woman. “Look- Qimei has more hilly terrain, but nothing that ordinary ing for Her Husband Rock” is shaped like a pregnant multi-speed bicycles can’t easily overcome. woman lying near the sea, and brings to mind the After leaving the dock, you will climb up a old times when local fishermen would set out to sea small hill and soon reach the first attraction—Qimei’s to earn their living; while their husbands were gone famous Seven Beauties Tomb. The island was actually at sea, all the local women could do was to wait and originally known as “Dayu.” But because seven virtu- worry at home. ous women killed themselves by jumping into a well The next landmark—Fenchazi—is a lone basalt rather than endure a life of humiliation and shame, the rock column carved by the wind and waves from the

156 BMU 2010 Autumn www.biketaiwan.com Cycling in Taiwan

▲This sea-carved platform, which looks a lot like the island of Taiwan, has ▲Qimei has several uphill stretches, but nothing that a multi-speed bike been dubbed "Little Taiwan." cannot easily overcome. island’s rock standing in the sea near the shore. Con- the Twin Heart Fish Trap helps give Qimei its roman- tinuing, you will see an interesting sea-carved plat- tic atmosphere. form known as “Cow Plateau.” Another sea-eroded Actually, the Twin Heart Fish Trap is an example platform to the left is known as “Little Taiwan” be- of the simple fish traps traditionally used by the people cause its shape resembles that of the island of Taiwan. of Penghu. Local residents often used rocks to build When you arrive at Qimei’s northeast cape, you semicircular stone weirs; after schools of fish swam will see the island’s classic Twin Heart Stone Fish into the traps at high tide, they became trapped in the Trap, which was selected as “Penghu’s Foremost pools after the tide went out, and the fishermen could Sight” for many years in a row and has now become easily catch them. Qimei’s Twin Heart Fish Trap has an emblem of Penghu. Along with the legends of the been in existence for more than a century, but is still Seven Beauties and Looking for Her Husband Rock, used to catch fish.